Sunny calls for better attitude

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(PTI)

Calcutta: Sunil Gavaskar feels action should be taken to dissolve the controversy over James Anderson allegedly pushing Ravindra Jadeja during the first Test at Trent Bridge.

Terming the incident as something that’s not good for the game, the legendary batsman opined that some action is due and the focus should be on prevention first. “I feel some action is due as prevention is better than cure.

“I think the talks between two sides have failed as it has not dissolved anything. The Judicial Commission needs to come in with necessary investigation,” Gavaskar told a television channel on Wednesday.

The former India captain apprehended that this incident could be one party’s word against the other. “What happened in the lead-up to the dressing room is something that even television cameras won’t be able to spot. So it will be one man’s word against the other,” he commented.

Gavaskar feels that the attitude in some quarters about these things “being good for the game” has led to more and more of such incidents. “I have seen people say that ‘Oh, it’s good for the game’. It’s never good for the game.

“Also, it’s totally incorrect to say that it has been a part of the game for centuries. Since a lot of people have got away with these things earlier, we tend to think that one can get away with them,” he said.

He cited the example of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal stating that “one would never see Federer abusing Nadal even if he finds that the other has got lucky with a point. If it doesn’t happen in tennis, then why should it happen in cricket?”

Gavaskar said that he has been long enough in the cricketing world to understand that things have come to such a stage where cricketers are getting physical with each other and setting bad example for aspiring ones.

“I have played more than one Test to know that there will always be a bit of chat, but it had never come to such a situation earlier. Occasionally, a bowler would get carried away but nothing like what we see today. Now, youngsters watching this would feel that this is par for the course.”

Gavaskar feels that a match referee should speak to the rival captains before the start of the match and tell them in no uncertain terms that “I just want bat and ball to do the talking… That’s it…”